Building construction



Aug. `11, 1931.

A`l. F. L`oucKs BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 17, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 Au8 l1, 1931- J.V F. LoucKs 1| .8186 34I Y BUILDING CONSTRUCTION v Fild Jun 17. 1929 2 shouts-sheet 2 4, -P i J .1 .y

i l /al Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNITED STATES JAMESl F. LO'UCKS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,

ASSIGNOR TO DETROIT STEEL PRODUCTSr COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION yOF MICHIGAN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Application filed June 17,

This invention relates to building construction, and more particularly to lthe means for securing the wire-mesh backm'gs and the wire ties employed with cement or plaster walls or partitions to structural beams or studs. It is the general purpose and object of the invention to provide simple and effective means for securing such backings and ties to such beams or studs.

The invention is particularly applicable to walls or partitions made up of bricks or tiles, united by cement or mortar and having a plaster face, wherein a wire-mesh backing is embedded in such plaster face and wire ties extend into the mortar between the:

bricks or tiles. By means of my invention, I am enabled to edect a quick and convenient fastening of the backing to the structural beams or studs associated with such 2o walls; also to anchor the wire ties to such beams or studs by the same fastening means which are employed to secure the-backing thereto. v Y

In the drawings forming part hereof, Fig.

j 1 represents a sectional view through a portion ,of a wall structure having my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 a sectional view corresponding to the line `2-2 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, the

fastening devicev and the tie being shown in elevation; Fig. 3 a detail in elevation corresponding to the line 3 3 of Fig. l, the mortar or cement being omitted; Fig. 4 a detail in section corresponding to the line 4--4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 an elevation taken from one side of my fastening device; Fig.

y 6 a similar view taken from the opposite side; and Fig. 7 an elevation of the said device taken at right angles to Fig. 5.

Describing the various parts by reference characters, 1 denotes blocks, of brick or tile and laidup into a wall construction, the blocks being united by mortar or cement interposed therebetween, Y

having on one side thereof the plaster facing 3. j

For convenience of description it will be assumed that the blocks are bricks arranged in horizontal courses and that the plaster l facing 3 extends vertically, as indicated in as shown at 2, and

1929. serial No. 371,401.

Fig. l. Thisplaster facing abuts against' and partly covers one of the vertical flanges 4 on each of a plurality of angle beams, the other flange of each such beam being indicated at 5.

As a substitute'for lath, awire mesh backl" ing is secured to the beams andis embedded inthe plaster, an instance of such backing being that known to the trade as Steeltex. This backing as shown herein consists of 43,0 suitably spaced wires 6 and 7 arranged at A right angles to each other and adapted to be embedded in the plaster and mortar or cement when the wall is built up to the beams or studs. For the purpose of anchor?k 05 ing the backing and the wireties I employ ,special fastening devices which cooperate with thebacking and the ties as well as with the bolt openings 4f* and/or 5a with which the beam flanges l and 5, are provided in a, ,70 manner to enable thebacking and ties tobenl quickly and conveniently secured to the beams and to effect a firm anchorage for the said backing and ties. Y j 1 Each ,of the fasteners referred toyis made'za of a continuous strip of soft flat steel bent to provide two opposed headV members. One of these head members is shown as consisting of an upper portion 8 connectedl by a bend4 with a lower portion 9 lfrom .which depends a shank member 10. The opposite head member consists of a loop 11 the outer leg 12 of which is bent downwardly and into engagement with a second shank member 10 adjacent thereto. The bottoms 0h35 the shankmembers 10 are connected witli upwardly extending tongue members 13, the members 13 projecting beyond the parts 8 and Y11 and being connected therebeyond by an integral bend 141-, the said members 13,1.. 90 jointly forming a tongue which, as stated, projects beyond the heads 8 and 11. Y j

At a distance above the junction of each tongue member 13 with the bottom of its shank member 10, each such tongue mem-.195 ber is provided with a weakened or bending u line 15, each line being conveniently formed by removing some of the metal of such member, as by transversely groovingthe same. rI`he grooves l5 are arranged at such a dis,fyi 100 'IISA tance fromthe junction of each tongue member with its corresponding shank member that, when the tongue is driven inwardly into the plane of the head formed by the members 8 and l1, the grooves 15 will be -in the plane of the bottoms of the members 10 and the parts of the tongue members 18 below such slots will extend horizontally outwardly, in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

In using my fastening or anchoring devices with the wire mesh backing and ties, I spring apart the legs comprising each a part 10 and an adjacent part 13 and insert therebetween one of the wires, as the wire 7. I also pass a wire tie 16 through the loop 11.V

Each of the wire ties is constructed preferably in the manner shown in Fig. 2 and comprises a pair of legs each terminating in an outwardly directed foot 16a, the tie lbeing looped at the end opposite the said feet, as shown at 1Gb. The ties having been secured to the backing in the manner described, the backing and ties are anchored to the beams or studs as follows :H

The legs 10 and 13 and the lower end 12 ofthe loop 11 of each fasteni'ig device are inserted through the appropriate opening` et and/or 5a, and the tongue 13, 111 is then driven through the said opening. The width of the stock of the fastening device S-15 is such that its edges will engage the inner wall of the opening 4a and/or 5a when the arts 13, 13,EL are spread apart by the wire 7.

hen the tongue 13, 14 and the head 8 ant-L 11 have been driven in, the parts will assume the positions shown in Fig. 1; that is to say, when the grooves '15 have been brought to the bottom of the legs 10, the top of the double tongue and the tops of' the head members 8 and 11 will be 'substantially the same plane, the parts 8 and 11 being driven in somewhat to provide an effective 4head engaging one side ofthe flange 4 or 5. The driving action will cause the parts 13a of the tongues below the slots 15 to Iextend horizontally outwardly, as shown in Fig. 1; and `the binding of the edges of the fastening device against the inner wall of the opening 4a or 5a will prevent the wire 7 from reaching the top of theY space between the tongues 13, thereby bendingsuch wire outwardly, asv shown in Figs. l and 2, and holding the adjacent body portion of the backing in closer engagement with the flange 4 or 5. The eye or loop 11 is so arranged that the body of the wall tie may extend directly or horizontally outwardly from the loop or eye, thereby to be embedded in the mortar or cement between the courses of brick or tile. When the fastening device shall have been driven home in Vthe manner described, it will be anchored firmly vto the beam flange by the engagement of the head with one side of the flange and the engagement of the inner ends of the convergent parts 10gt of the shank members 10-see Fig. 1. In other words by driving the tongue, the opposite end of the device is automatically upset and the device is anchored by the head on one side and the divergent parts 10CL on the other side.

For convenience of description it has been assumed that the beams l, 5 .are arranged in the particular manner shown in the drawings and that the wall or partition to be erected will be a vertical wall, with the courses of brick or tile arranged as shown. However, by such .particular-ity of description, I do not preclude myself from protecting the use of my invention in connection with other arrangements of studs 4or beams and walls Lor partitions.

In practice, the wire ties are applied to the respective fastening devices and the latter are each driven or pressed over a wire of the backing, and the backing, together with the ties and fasteners, is applied to the structural beams or studs in the manner shown, after which the wall is built up and the ties and backing are placed and embedded in the plaster, mortar, or cement in the man.' er shown.

Having thus deseribefjl my invention, what I claim is:

1. A backing construction for' walls `or partitions comprising a wire mesh, and integral vflat metal -l' teni-ng devices for securing thesaio. mesh .,e one or more structural beams, each of said devices consisting of ai pair of head `members and a shank comprising a 1flat meta-l side member projecting from each head member, with a central VTtongue projecting upwardly between said side mem.-

bers and beyondsaid head, the tongue com-- prising a .pair of members integrally con- -nected with the bottoms ofthe shank members, each tongue member having a bending line above the bottom thereof so arranged that, when the shank is inserted through an opening in a beam and the central projecting portion Aof the tongue is driven into substantially the plane of the head, the parts of thetongue members below said bending line assume Va position substantially at right angles to the remaining parts of the tongue members, each of `the said'devices receiving a wire of said backing between the ymembers of the tongue of such device.

2. A backing construction for walls or partitions comprising a wire mesh, and integral fastening devices for securing the said mesh to one or Vmore structural beams, each of said devices consisting of a pair of head members and a shank comprising a flat metal side member projecting from each head member, with a central tongue projecting upwardly between said side members and beyond said head, the tongue comprising a pair of members integrally connected i each with the bottoms of the shank members, tongue member having a bending line above,

the bottom thereof so arranged that, when the shank is inserted through an opening in a beam and the central projecting portion- Aof the tongue is the head, the parts of the tongueY` driven into substantially the plane of members below said bending line assume a position substantially at right angles to the remaining parts of the tongue members, devices receiving a wire of each of the said said backing between adjacent parts of such device.

3. A backing construction for walls or partitions comprising a wire mesh and looped wire ties, and integral Hat metal fastening devices for securing the said mesh and ties to the openings of structural beams, each fastening device comprising a head having a pair of head members one of which stantially the plane of the head, the parts of the tongue members below said bending line assume a position substantially at right angles to the remaining parts of the tongue members, each of the said devices receiving awire of said backing between the centrali members of the tongue of such device.

4c. A backing construction for walls or partitions comprising a wire mesh' and looped wire ties, and integral fastening devices for securing the said ties to the said mesh and the mesh to the openings of structural beams, each fastening device comprising a head having a pair of head members one of which is provided with a loop, and each device having a shank comprising a side member projecting from each head member, with a central tongue projecting between said side members and beyond said head, the tongue comprising a pair of members integrally connected with the bottoms of the shank members and each having a bending line above the bottom thereof so arranged that, when the central projecting portion of the tongue is driven-into substantially the plane of the head, the parts of the tongue members below said bending line assume a position substantially at right angles to the remaining parts lof the tongue members, each of the said devices receiving the loop of a wire tie and a wire of said mesh between adjacent parts of said device.

tially the plane d 5. Means for securing a wire tie for building walls or partitionsy to a structural beam, comprising an integral fastening device con'- sisting of a pair of head members each having a flat metal shank member, with a central tongue comprising a pair of side members integrally connected with the bottoms of the shank members, each tongue member having a bending line above the bottom thereof so arranged that, when the shank members are inserted through an opening in ay beam andthe central projecting portion of the tongue is driven-into substantially the plane'of the head, the parts vof the tongue members below said bending line assume a position substantially at right angles to the remaining-parts of the tongue meinbers, each fastener adapted to'receive a portion of a tie between adjacent portions thereof.

6. Means for anchoring a wire mesh backing for walls or partitions to structural beams, the said means comprising a plurality of integral fasteners each having a pair of head members 'and a shank member eX- tending from each head member, with a central tongue projecting upwardly between said shank members and beyond said head,

ythe tongue comprising a pair of side members integrally connected with the bottoms of the shankmembers, each tongue member having a bending line above the bottom thereof so arranged that, when the shank members are inserted through an opening in a beam and the central projecting por-- tion of the tongue is driven into substantongue members below saidbending line assume a posit-ion substantially at right angles to the remaining parts of the tongue members, each fastener adapted to receive a wire of the said backing between adjacent parts thereof. l

7 Means for anchoring to a structural beam a metallic backing for walls or parti! tions, the said means comprising an integral fastening device consisting of a length of metal bent upon itself to form a shank consisting of two externally arranged shank members at least one of said shank membersvv having ahead member at one end thereof, and a tongue comprising a pair of members interposed between the shank members and extending beyond the head member, the said fastening device adapted to receive between' adjacent portions thereof apart of the said backing and to have the ends of the shank members thereof opposite the tongue automatically upset by driving the tongue toward the head member, whereby the said'l device may be inserted in an opening in such structural beam and automatically locked to opposite sides of such opening by driving the said tongue.

8. Means for anchoring to a structural of the head, the parts of the y ybeam a backing for Walls or partitions, the said means comprising an integral fastening `device adapted to be applied to a part -of the said backing andcomprising ahead :member adapted tovengage a portion oithe backing, a shank member extending from said head member and a tongue member eX- ltending from the shank member` and projecting beyond ithe'head member, the tongue member being provided with a bending Alino intermediate -its lends whereby, on driving such projecting end thereof into substantially the planefof the head member, the portion of the tongue member beyond the bending `line will assume a position at an angle With respect to the other portion of vthe tongue member, thereby projecting a portion of the shank member into engagement with the said beam.

9. Means for anchoring to a structural beam a metallic-backing and a Wire tie for Walls or partitions, the said means compris- .ing an integral fastening device adapted 'to be applied to a part ot the said backing and to such tie and comprising a head adapted to engage one side of an aperture in such beam, said head having a loop adapted to receive a portionof the metallic backing, a shank extending from and beyond said head, a tongue connected at one end to the end of said shank and having a looped end extending beyond saidhead, the said tongue being provided With a bending line intermediate the ends thereof, the `loop in said tongue receiving the tie and the parts being .arranged so that when the `looped end of the tongue isidriveninto substantially 4the plane ofthe head, the portion of theftongue beyond the bending line will assume a position forming an angle with respect to the other portion of the tongue, thereby projecting apor- `tion of the shank member into-engagement o With the said beam.

In testimony whereof, I lhereunto my signature.

JAMES F. LOUCKS. Y 

